Chapter 6
Rafael Moretti arrived for dinner the next evening.
He entered like a beloved uncle.
That was what made men like him dangerous.
No bodyguards visible.
Dark suit.
Silver cane.
A kiss on Lily’s forehead.
A smile at Ethan.
A long look at Vanessa.
Dante noticed everything.
Rafael sat at the main table.
The same floor Vanessa had forced Lily to clean had been polished again.
Lily sat beside Dante.
Ethan sat beside her.
That was deliberate.
No servant.
No replacement.
Two children.
Rafael looked amused.
“Domestic reform?”
Dante poured wine.
“Something like that.”
Vanessa barely touched her food.
Rafael noticed.
“What happened?”
“Marriage problems.”
Dante looked directly at Vanessa.
She understood the performance.
Rafael smiled.
“Those are usually expensive.”
“Not this one.”
They ate.
No council talk.
No territory.
Dante waited until dessert.
Then placed the black rosary on the table.
Rafael stopped moving.
Only for a second.
Enough.
“Recognize it?”
Rafael looked at Dante.
“Should I?”
“Marcus Cole.”
The old man’s face did not change again.
“Dead a long time.”
“Yes.”
“How did you get it?”
“Sofia.”
Rafael looked toward Lily.
Dante’s hand moved slightly between them.
Rafael smiled.
“There he is.”
“What?”
“The man Sofia was afraid of.”
Dante’s jaw tightened.
“You knew she was investigating you.”
“I knew she was speaking to Gabriel.”
“You had her killed.”
“No.”
Immediate.
Calm.
“Then who?”
Rafael leaned back.
“You want an enemy so badly.”
Dante said nothing.
Rafael continued:
“Sofia came to me.”
“When?”
“Two weeks before she died.”
“Why?”
“She asked whether your father ordered Marcus Cole’s death.”
Dante felt cold.
“And?”
“I told her yes.”
Vanessa inhaled sharply.
Dante stared.
“Truth?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because your father did.”
The room went quiet.
Lily played with peas.
Ethan looked between adults without understanding.
Dante lowered his voice.
“Children upstairs.”
This time he did not need explanation.
Laura took both.
Ethan stopped beside Vanessa.
She reached toward him.
He hesitated.
Then allowed her to kiss his forehead.
Dante noticed.
The boy still loved his mother.
That did not erase what she did.
After the doors closed, Dante turned back.
“My father ordered Marcus killed.”
“Yes.”
“Reason?”
“Marcus was moving money against him.”
“Proof?”
Rafael laughed softly.
“You’re asking like a judge.”
“No.”
Dante leaned forward.
“I’m asking like a son deciding how much of his father deserves burial twice.”
Rafael’s smile faded.
“Marcus planned to leave our network and take three crews with him.”
“So Father killed him.”
“Yes.”
“And you carried it out.”
Rafael looked at the rosary.
“Yes.”
Vanessa closed her eyes.
At last.
Truth.
Not rumor.
Not revenge story.
Rafael continued:
“I regretted it.”
Dante almost laughed.
“Useful.”
“No.”
Rafael’s voice darkened.
“Regret is useless. That is why it hurts.”
Dante studied him.
“Did you kill Sofia?”
“No.”
“Who did?”
Rafael looked toward Vanessa.
“She knows.”
Vanessa went pale.
Dante turned.
“What?”
“I don’t.”
Rafael smiled.
“Tell him about the night Gabriel came back burned.”
Vanessa stopped breathing.
Dante stared.
“Burned?”
Rafael continued:
“Five years ago Gabriel staged his death.”
Vanessa whispered:
“Rafael…”
“He used a warehouse fire.”
“Not your story about some interstate killing.”
Dante looked at her.
Another lie.
Rafael continued:
“Gabriel spent two years hunting me.”
“Then Sofia found him.”
“Then something changed.”
“What?”
Rafael’s expression became serious.
“Gabriel fell in love with your wife.”
The room went dead.
Vanessa closed her eyes.
Dante felt rage.
Then Sofia’s voice returned in memory.
Do not kill Gabriel first.
He held still.
Rafael saw the fight inside him.
Smiled faintly.
“That is why Sofia did not tell you.”
Dante looked at Vanessa.
“True?”
She whispered:
“Gabriel loved her.”
“Did Sofia?”
“I don’t know.”
Rafael answered:
“No.”
Dante turned.
“How would you know?”
“Because she told me.”
Rafael leaned back.
“She used Gabriel.”
“To expose you?”
“To expose your father’s old network.”
“And Gabriel?”
“Thought the alliance meant more.”
Dante felt almost pity.
Almost.
Rafael continued:
“When Sofia tried to end it, Gabriel threatened to expose everything to you.”
Vanessa’s face tightened.
Dante stared.
“And?”
“Three nights later Sofia died.”
Silence.
Rafael looked toward Vanessa.
“You married the man you believed killed Gabriel’s father.”
“Then spent eighteen months following Gabriel’s orders.”
May you like
He smiled without warmth.
“Ask yourself why Gabriel wanted you inside Dante’s bed more than he wanted Rafael dead.”
